Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

"All of you may have been wondering about the Quests that were given to Groups 3 and 4 because, during the match between Groups 1 and 2, no quests were given to them. The reasons are that the two Groups made contact earlier than expected, and due to the Virtual System's detection of a different kind of 'Teleportation' skill in Elizabeth's subconscious, the Virtual System extended the time before triggering the Quests meant for them. Also, if you are concerned about the Virtual System recording your Status Windows, please rest assured... Because the Status Window data of a student is going to be erased 'automatically' each time the student finished using the Virtual Capsule. It is to protect the privacy of every Obelisk student."

Professor Murak's voice resounded within the Room where A-1 students were sitting, watching the spectacle that seemed like another reality inside the holographic screen.

The Quests that appeared for Anya and Leon's group also alerted the spectators outside the virtual world because they could hear whatever was happening through the gigantic holographic screen showing the point of view of both groups at the same time, thus alerting everyone of the existence of quests.

Professor Murak who saw some students' curious looks and murmurs informed everyone, he also included the 'data gathering' of the Virtual System that might soon be a cause of concern if it was not clarified.

Elizabeth von Etherion, who heard what Professor Murak said slightly scratched her head, looking at Rumia beside her with a poignant expression.

'I shouldn't have Teleported right away... I want to have fun with a quest, too!'

As a Princess of the country 'Etheria', she knew about the existence of Quests that were given by Constellations at some point.

Her mother also received it, took her 5 years to complete it.

"Who could have known that they modified the Virtual World here?"

Elizabeth muttered, causing Rumia to slightly scoffed at her words before saying...

"You're one to talk! If you did just wait a little longer, you know!"

Rumia said with a poignant tone, remembering what happened earlier that placed her grades on this particular subject in the 'red borderline'.

'I want to play, too! Argh!'

Rumia screamed inside, feeling like she wanted to smack her bestfriend's head.

Although both of them was Princess of their respective country and had killed numerous criminals at a young age under the form of training, opening their view to the ugly side of reality, they still retained their spirits and longed for simple leisure as they own Virtual Capsules in their dormitory room, as well as in their homes.

...

[Group Notification!

Quest Title: Ruins Investigation

Type: Sub-Quest

Description:

Investigate the Ruins of an unknown name.

Free the unknown prisoners inside the Ruins.

Rewards: Favor of the Prisoners.

Failure: Accumulated points will be reduced to 0.

Duration: 12 hours]

As soon as Leon and his group members stepped inside the unknown ruins, a group notification entered their ears at the same time.

Leon frowned upon reading the description as he thought inwardly...

'F*ck*ng... are they considering this as a child's play or a game?'

Being the son of the Guildmaster of the Top 5, Phantasmal Guild, expectations were cast on him during his youth which caused him to take things seriously most of the time, especially when it was about something that involves his family name, 'Obreyon'.

Although it didn't make his sense of humor disappear, he just felt that sometimes things were out of place, just like right now.

Leon looked behind to check his group members as they stopped their steps for now because of the unexpected notification, causing them to wear different expressions.

After five seconds, other group members were waiting for whatever Leon was going to say as they reorganized their thoughts.

Leon scrutinizes the inside of the ruins, according to what his vision sees.

The unknown ruins were at least a height of a hundred meters and a hundred meters in length with a dim atmosphere.

There were minor cracks above, causing the virtual sunlight to pass through, illuminating some of the surrounding areas.

This provided Leon and his group members to at least efficiently check the dimmed areas.

There were towering pillars, serving as the foundation of the ruins.

There were also circular doors from the right and left sides of the ruins.

It was a simple one-way ruin with mysterious doors, but its danger was that it might only have a single exit, where they entered from.

As Leon pondered about the design of the surroundings and its possible indications, he saw a gigantic circular door under the dim area at the end of the ruins, he managed to do so because of his strengthened vision.

'Prisoners... It means there is a prison here, but the problem is the location whether it's from aboveground or a secret underground. And I'm certain there's no such thing as freebies as traps and monsters might be lying somewhere.'

As he thought inwardly, he looked at some circular doors, smaller in size than what he saw at the end of the wall before looking back at his group members, he then spoke...

"Hey, Tyrion, you have a trap detection skill, right?"

A blonde man with blackish eyes, and has a rectangular body type looked at Leon before saying...

"...Yes, Sir Leon."

The politeness of Tyrion to Leon was something not surprising for the other three group members because, for some string of fate, their families were all vassals of the 'Obreyon Family', under the Phantasmal Guild.

'It's better that I was grouped up with people under me.' 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝒆𝘸𝚎𝙗𝒏oν𝙚𝘭.𝐜𝒐m

Leon thought as he felt that it was a hassle to have group members he wasn't close with.

He and the other three group members followed behind Tyrion as he took the lead to check for possible traps ahead.

Although monsters cannot set a trap for themselves unless they were intelligent beings, some ruins have traps on their own for some inexplicable reasons.

After a few minutes of walking, Tyrion spoke...

"There are traps ahead, on the ground and some are on the walls..."

He pointed out the ground with traps that would be triggered if someone step on it, as well as traps on the wall that would be triggered if someone passed through its line of sight.

"Wait here, I'll take care of it..."

Aside from being able to detect traps, Tyrion also has the ability to disarm them, though it depends on the trap formation because some were too complicated which led to various effects such as curses and random location transportation.

For now, Tyrion's ability was to disable traps that were physical in nature.

Normally, to disarm traps, most of the time, it needs to be in close proximity to the one who would disarm them, but with his skills, it could be done at least ten meters away.

[Activating Skill: Threads of Disarming]

Upon the activation of his skill, numerous yellowish threads that were connected in his hands came out, moving on their own as if they were chasing something.

Soon, sounds of trap activation resounded in everyone's ears.

A few meters ahead, the grounds with traps collapsed, revealing spikes beneath that could deal serious injury or death if a person wasn't a high ranked.

These spikes contained brown luster as if it was possessed by spirits wandering the desert. 𝘧𝘳𝐞𝚎𝑤ℯ𝘣𝗻𝘰ѵℯl.c𝐨𝚖

Then, traps on the wall that were touched by the yellowish threads from Tyrion's hands fired numerous arrows...

Leon, who saw the scene felt that something was amiss...

Because the arrows that were fired from triggering the hidden traps didn't hit the ground.

'It hit the circular doors on the walls!'

~ Rumble-!!!

Just as Leon thought of that, their group heard rumbling sounds almost everywhere in front of them, following it were Virtual System group notifications that contained the same messages that says...

[You have triggered unknown traps.]

[The doors of the slumbering 'Scorpion Guards will be opened.]

[Defeat the Scorpion Guards to proceed to the next area.]

"...Ah sh*t!"

Leon cursed in thin air. It was heard by Tyrion who wore a terrified expression, not because of the monsters, but of his mistake.

Just as he was about to apologize, Leon raised his right hand, indicating that it was not a time for such a thing.

"It's okay, just focus right now."

Leon wouldn't be mad at such trivial thing, especially in a virtual world, but it was a different matter if it was outside.

Also, they didn't expect that the traps on the walls were triggers for other traps.

It was like a trap overlapped with traps.

...

[Topaz-Tailed Scorpion Guard]

Guards of the Desert who were lost in time.

They had witnessed something thousands of years ago which gave them negligible intelligence.

Health Points: 1,000

Mana Points: 1,000

Stamina Points: 1,000

Stats:

Strength: 100

Dexterity: 100

Constitution: 100

Agility: 100

Vitality: 100

Perception: 100

Willpower: 100

Tenacity: 100

Charm: 3

Luck: 6

Magic Power: 100

Skills:

Crude Weapon Mastery

Upon watching something thousands of years ago, it tried to mimic what it saw, resulting from achieving a crude weapon mastery.

Rank: F-

Effects:

It was able to wield weapons of its choice, but according to its experience, it was very likely to wield a weapon it witnessed firsthand.

Desert Slumber

A sleep for eternity until someone wakes it up.

Rank: ???

Effects:

A Scorpion Guard who used this skill would enter a deep slumber that would make it immortal against the passage of time.

Its negative effect was that it won't be able to wake up on its own unless various conditions were triggered.

Leon, Tyrion, and the other three group members checked the information about the monsters that came out of the circular doors from their right and left sides.

Some were holding rusty spears on their pincers; some were holding rusty swords; some were holding chained sickles, and some were holding scythes... These Scorpions were holding various kind of weapons that signifies a player's profession.

It was a very bizarre sight even for Leon who read documents from Phantasmal Guild's Strayed, and Tower Dungeon raids.

...

An inexplicable smile appeared on Professor Murak's mouth as he watched the spectacle on the holographic screen at the back of the Room designated for Virtual Activity.

He was very familiar with the sight of what Leon's group encountered.

It was a Strayed Dungeon from his country 'Bhaskara', the desert country situated at Northern Arka which was the Southernmost part of the Orion Continent.

Strayed Dungeons do not vanish upon their completion, it was the same for Dungeon Towers of all levels aside from the 'Close Mystery Towers', rather, they closed for a period of time.

What happened to Strayed Dungeons and Dungeon Towers after it was cleared was the restoration of its environment and inhabitants, then it would be available again to be raided by 'players'.

But for some reason, Professor Murak who participated in the investigation of the Strayed Dungeon named Desert of the Luminous Scorpion via System's information discovered the oddity with the 'Desert Slumber' skill because it raises the question...

'Why would the Scorpion Guards have such skill, if they would only resurrect after being raided by players?'

The information was forwarded to the renowned Researcher and Scholar, Emmanuel Lyncoster of the Obelisk Institute of the Origin.

It was later decided to intentionally spread, but not mention this oddity to students.

Although Professor Emmanuel Lyncoster was a very intelligent individual, he acknowledges that by some random words of speculation of the students, he might realize something he hadn't thought of yet.

"Ahhh! I want to fight that!"

Professor Murak's thoughts were cut off by Rumia's slightly loud voice, prompting other students to look in her direction. This caused Elizabeth to laugh before smacking her in the head.

Although it was not prohibited to talk and exchange ideas as they observed what was happening in front of them, it was better not to cause inconvenience for others.

'You'll see more interesting things, soon.'

Professor Murak thought inwardly as he recalled that every piece of information in the holographic screen before the start of Virtual War wasn't everything there was.

...

At Anya Amasawa's group side.

Upon collecting some resources, they managed to make a camp made of desert woods and tree leaves near the target oasis as they prepared for the completion of their quest.

Anya browse again the quest given to them as she thought inwardly...

'It's just a sub-quest...'